Central High locked down briefly after man with weapon seen

MANCHESTER — Central High School was thrown into a lockdown Thursday afternoon after a motorist told police she saw a man with a large gun and clip near the school, police said.

Although police arrived quickly and searched the area where he was reportedly seen — the intersection of Maple and Lowell streets — nothing was found. Nor did police find an witness who saw the man.

Nonetheless, Central was thrown into lockdown for about 15 minutes, said police Lt. Maureen Tessier. Students were dismissed at the normal end of the day. Tessier said officers saturated the area, and extra patrols stayed in the area during dismissal.

The motorist, who was traveling north on Maple Street, described the person as a white man with a gray beard. He was wearing glasses, khaki pants and a light-colored, button shirt. He was holding the large gun above his head.

"She is absolutely the only person who saw this," Tessier said, who said people should call police if they see something suspicious.

"We welcome any kind of information of that nature. You never know," she said.